Antonio Cromartie on NFL's marijuana policy: 'We're just going to do it anyway'

Newark Star-Ledger | Feb 5

Say what you will about Antonio Cromartie, but the veteran cornerback continues to be one of the best interview subjects on the Jets roster. Cro doesn't do clichés and empty player-speak. He speaks his mind, is often thoughtful, and even if he sometimes might say a little too much, he deserves a ton of credit for frequently being so candid.
This one, which you can watch below, is from Friday. It slipped under the radar because something or other happened in North Jersey over the weekend. It's Cro talking to Ashlee Ray of This Is 50. Cro is excited about the salary-cap space the Jets have this offseason. He believes in quarterback Geno Smith, head coach Rex Ryan, and the talent the Jets have on defense. He even mentions which NFL players and coaches would be on a team he was building, a list that for him includes Ryan and Jets center Nick Mangold.
And at the 3:17 mark, Cro is asked about marijuana, which the NFL lists as a banned substance for which players can be tested. Take it away, Cro:
"They need to just let it go. We're just going to do it anyway. They just need to let it go. They need to go ahead and say, 'Ya'll go ahead, smoke it, do what you need to do.'"
Cro's got a point here. We just had a Super Bowl featuring two teams from states that have legalized the use of weed. And marijuana's status as a banned substance under the NFL's drug policy dates to a time when the country was less accepting over its use. The justification for weed's continued prohibition is losing steam.